Agartala: While seeking special development package from the centre to equate the pace of development with rest of the country, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, while delivering 5th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog on Saturday in Delhi, has apprised that Tripura is one of the best five performing states in the country in terms of improvement of public distribution system (PDS).
Besides, erasing over 62,000 fake ration card holders from the PDS list, BJP-IPFT government in Tripura has achieved success by introducing e-PDS and supply chain management, which could help the state to save more than Rs 60 Cr annually and also, brought confidence in consumers’ mind about the government.
Laying emphasis on the success of Tripura in implementation of development projects and bringing transparency in the governance, Deb sought support from Prime Minister to make Tripura as a model.
He also explained the economic hardship of his government and a large number of financial liabilities inherited from the previous Left Front government.
Setting up priority for the development of Tripura, the chief minister has drawn the attention to the aviation sector of the state and stated that the state would be benefitted if the existing aviation guidelines are amended to facilitate the private operators to increase the frequency of flights in the state.
“There is an urgent need to operate direct evening flights from Delhi to Agartala as well as from Agartala to Delhi facilitating the technocrats including doctors and health experts, which would help the state to develop its infrastructure and services,” Deb underlined.
He also hoped that Inland Water Transport in Tripura project could make the state a gateway to Northeast region and so the project may be expedited and grounded at the earliest by the declaration of Rive Gomati as Indo-Bangladesh protocol route.
In order to boost tourism, Ministry of Tourism may help the state to construct a ropeway connecting holy Tripurasundari temple) and Chabimura, famous for its panels of rock carving on steep mountain wall on the bank of river Gomati.
“The public sector companies of the country are required to be mandated to spend at least 10 per cent of their CSR funds in the region to pave way for realising most ambitious HIRA (highway, internet, road and air connectivity) model of Prime Minister,” Deb pointed out.
For the boosting of state finance, chief minister proposed the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas to examine the issue of waiving of VAT by setting up a high-level committee consisting of members from the state government.
He, however, reiterated due to VAT waiver, ONGC Power Company Ltd, Tripura, is incurring a huge loss, though the project is installed long back and earning a profit. (UNI)
